Oxycontin maker Purdue Pharma received court approval on Friday to begin voting on its $7.4 billion bankruptcy settlement, while deferring questions about how state and local governments should spend the money they receive.

A judge could decide Friday whether to advance OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma's $7 billion-plus plan to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids.

The $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma was approved by a federal judge. Now local governments will vote on whether to sign onto the deal. The maker of OxyContin is accused of fueling the country's opioid overdose epidemic.